India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come under scrutiny following India’s surprising 0-2 defeat in the two-match T20I series against Ireland, with criticism emerging from both former cricketers and Iceland Cricket.

India suffered a 34-run defeat in the opening T20I before Ireland completed a historic series sweep by winning the second match as well. The result marked one of India’s most unexpected bilateral T20 series losses in recent years.

Soon after the series concluded, Iceland Cricket, known for its witty social media posts, took a swipe at Gambhir. In a post on social media, the account sarcastically remarked on Gambhir’s coaching methods following India’s disappointing performance. The comments quickly gained traction among cricket fans online.

Former India batter and commentator Sanjay Manjrekar also questioned some of the decisions taken by the team management during the Ireland tour. Manjrekar had earlier expressed disappointment over teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi not being included in the playing XI despite India’s struggles in the series. He termed the move as not being a “good cricketing call”.

The exclusion of Sooryavanshi became a major talking point during the series, particularly after India lost the first game. The 15-year-old remained on the bench for both matches despite widespread expectations of a possible debut.

The series defeat has intensified discussions around India’s team selection and tactical approach under Gambhir, with fans and experts debating the decisions taken during the tour.

Teenage batting sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has generated immense excitement ahead of India’s T20I series against Ireland, but a place in the playing XI is far from certain as team management weighs the importance of maintaining a settled combination.

The 15-year-old left-handed batter, who enjoyed a remarkable rise through domestic and franchise cricket, has been included in India’s T20I squad for the Ireland and England tours. However, fitting him into the starting XI presents a significant selection challenge.

Crowded top order creates selection headache

India already have several established opening options in the squad, including Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan. Bringing Sooryavanshi into the side would likely require dropping one of the current top-order batters, many of whom have already delivered strong performances for the national team.

Ahead of the Ireland series, India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak stressed that players who have been consistently performing should not be sidelined unfairly merely to accommodate new entrants. He added that competition for places is healthy and every player should wait for the appropriate opportunity.

The approach reflects head coach Gautam Gambhir’s emphasis on prioritising the team’s overall balance rather than making changes solely because of public demand or hype surrounding a player.

Sooryavanshi’s rapid rise continues

Despite uncertainty over his immediate debut, Sooryavanshi remains one of India’s brightest young prospects. The Bihar batter has impressed across age-group cricket, domestic competitions and the IPL, where his fearless strokeplay attracted widespread attention.

With India set to play a packed white-ball schedule, opportunities are expected to come for the youngster, even if he does not feature in the opening T20I against Ireland.

Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai added another milestone to his growing international career by becoming one of the fastest batters to reach 50 sixes in One Day Internationals (ODIs) during the third ODI against India national cricket team. Omarzai achieved the feat with two maximums in the match, entering an elite list of power-hitters in ODI cricket.

Omarzai and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi stitched together a 105-run partnership to rebuild the innings after Afghanistan faced early setbacks. Omarzai’s innings came to an end after he played a crucial role in Afghanistan’s recovery.

Omarzai among fastest batters to 50 ODI sixes

With this achievement, Omarzai reached the 50-sixes mark in just 36 ODI innings. According to the record list, only Corey Anderson and Liam Livingstone got there faster, taking 32 and 34 innings respectively. Omarzai is now the joint third-fastest batter to reach 50 ODI sixes, sharing the position with Muhammad Waseem after both achieved the milestone in 36 innings.

Fastest to 50 ODI sixes (by innings):

• Corey Anderson – 32 innings
• Liam Livingstone – 34 innings
• Azmatullah Omarzai – 36 innings
• Muhammad Waseem – 36 innings
• Shimron Hetmyer – 38 innings
• Harry Brook – 38 innings

Notably, no Indian batter features among the top five fastest players to reach 50 ODI sixes.

Equals Shahidi’s record against India

Omarzai’s half-century also helped him match captain Hashmatullah Shahidi’s record for the most ODI fifties by an Afghanistan batter against India. Both players now have two ODI half-centuries against the Indian team.

The latest achievement further highlights Omarzai’s importance to Afghanistan’s ODI setup, where he has established himself as one of the team’s most impactful all-rounders in recent years.